Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2022 09:09:12 -0400
From: "Chris Mathis" <cmathis@brothersgibb.com>
Subject: During the final months of her life, Olivia Newton-John reminisced about her late pal Andy Gibb.
On Fox News Today
During the final months of her life, Olivia Newton-John reminisced about her
late pal Andy Gibb.
The pop singer and younger brother of the Bee Gees, who skyrocketed to fame
as a teen idol, passed away in 1988 at age 30, five days after his birthday.
He is now the subject of a new book titled "Arrow Through The Heart" which
has been optioned by Lisa Saltzman’s Groundbreaking Productions. It
explores how Gibb branched out on his own as a sought-after star and how his
struggles with cocaine addiction contributed to his tragic end.
One of the numerous sources who shared their memories of Gibb for the book
was Newton-John. The "Grease" star and author Matthew Hild corresponded via
email during the summer of 2021.
Olivia Newton-John wrote to author Matthew Hild about her friendship with
Andy Gibb. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
"This is kind of the million-dollar question," Hild told Fox News Digital
when asked how he would describe the pair’s relationship. "There was a lot
of press speculation about whether they were romantically involved or not.
But Olivia insisted, and always said, that Andy was one of her dearest
friends. And even when Andy was alive, he would say the same thing about
her. Some people have speculated on whether they were more than friends. But
nobody found any evidence of that. There was also a 10-year age gap between
them. Those who knew them all said that their relationship was like brother
and sister."
They appeared on TV together for a good four or five years," Hild shared.
"They looked good together and had great chemistry when they interacted with
each other. But she always stressed that Andy was just a dear friend she
greatly admired."
According to Hild, Newton-John first met Gibb in the early ’70s through
his brothers, before he became famous. They ran in similar music circles in
Australia, and they shared a similar background. Newton-John and Gibb were
closer in age, and they were both born in the U.K. but grew up in Australia.
Andy Gibb is the subject of a new book. (Fin Costello/Redferns)
It didn’t take long for Newton-John to quickly become "a friend of the
family," Hild shared. She recorded a cover of the Bee Gees track "Come on
Over," which was turned into the title track of her 1976 album. She went on
to record two duets with the youngest Gibb in 1979, "I Can’t Help It" and
"Rest Your Love on Me." She also joined the Bee Gees and Gibb to perform a
fundraising televised concert for UNICEF that same year.
"When they first met, Andy was just a kid who hung around a lot in the
studio with his brothers," said Hild. "But once he turned 19 and 20, they
shared a true friendship. What surprised me during our correspondence was
that Olivia said she viewed Andy as every bit as talented as his brothers.
He suffered from a lot of insecurity and was worried that people would view
him as riding on the coattails of his brothers. But she greatly admired him
as an artist. She strongly believed Andy had the voice, the looks and the
charisma to be a star. Olivia said she felt Andy held so much promise."
"You could tell in those letters that even [decades later] she was
incredibly proud of what he achieved," Hild shared. "She was very much
looking forward to what he could have done as an artist."
The Brothers Gibb of the Bee Gees and Olivia Newton-John circa 1979 in New
York City. (Sonia Moskowitz/Images/Getty Images)
According to Hild, Newton-John was "definitely aware" of Gibb’s struggles
with addiction, but didn’t delve into details concerning her opinions.
"She felt very protective of Andy," Hild said. "She didn’t want to talk
about that… She also knew his former girlfriend, Victoria Principal, who
recently shared a tribute to Olivia on social media [following her
passing]… Olivia still had his big sisterly love for Andy and wanted to
remain loyal to their friendship and memories. She always said, ‘Andy was
such a kind, sweet person. The tragedy was that he had so much promise and
so much more he could have done.’ And all of those that I spoke to shared
a similar sentiment, that Olivia had this little brother, Andy, whom she
loved dearly."
In 1981, Gibb fell head over heels in love with Principal, an actress in
"Dallas." However, the whirlwind romance was reported to be tumultuous.
According to reports, drugs were a contributing factor to their split.
Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal pose in 1981 in Los Angeles, California.
(Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
Gibb’s family urged him to go to rehab, and he finally did in 1985 when he
checked into the Betty Ford Center. Despite getting clean, Gibb couldn’t
relaunch his once thriving career.
In 1984, Newton-John married married actor Matt Lattanzi, and she happily
immersed herself in motherhood when she welcomed a daughter named Chloe a
year later.
Hild said the last time Newton-John saw Gibb was in 1987 when she was in
Miami, where Gibb resided. They both attended an event where they instantly
exchanged warm hugs to the delight of photographers.
Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb tape the ABC television special "Olivia
Newton-John: Hollywood Nights" on March 19, 1980, in Century City,
California. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
In 1988, Gibb was determined to kick off his comeback. Barry Gibb even took
his younger sibling to London, where they could collaborate once more. Gibb
moved to a carriage house on the property of his brother Robin Gibb and
signed a contract with Island Records.
According to Hild, Gibb was hospitalized three times, complaining of chest
and abdominal pains. On the evening of March 9, 1988, Gibb collapsed on
Robin’s estate. He died the next morning of myocarditis, known as
inflammation of the heart muscle. A pathologist found no evidence of alcohol
or other substances. The inflammation of his heart was the result of a viral
infection.
His mother Barbara Gibb once said, "When he died, it had nothing to do with
drugs at all, but the damage had been done through drugs in the first
place." Hild noted that Gibb’s heart problem was "going on for years and
was likely drug-related."
Matthew Hild told Fox News Digital that Olivia Newton-John was "very
protective" of Andy Gibb. (GAB Archive/Redferns)
One of Gibb’s backup singers, who was also friends with Newton-John,
recalled sitting next to the songstress at his funeral.
"He described sitting next to Olivia and seeing just how shaken she was,"
said Hild. "She was really upset. At one point, this singer told Olivia,
‘This is so sad.’ She just bit her lip and tried her best to fight back
the tears… You know, toward the end of Andy’s life, he was calling all
his friends and saying, ‘Let’s work together.’ He was very
enthusiastic about his comeback album. He would tell friends, ‘I’m
coming back.’ There’s no doubt in my mind that he and Olivia would have
worked together on another duet again."
Hild said there was one thing Newton-John wanted readers to know as he wrote
in his book.
Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb at "The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of
Song," a benefit concert at the United Nations in New York City, circa 1979.
(Michael Putland/Getty Images)
"In our correspondence, she emphasized how sweet of a friend Andy was," said
Hild. "Those were her exact words. Olivia wanted to not only honor Andy’s
memory but protect it. He had his problems, but she would never, ever
discuss them. She felt strongly that his legacy should be his music and what
a remarkable talent he was. And it’s easy to see why they were such good
friends. Both were incredibly sweet people who loved making others happy
with their music. They were comfortable in each other’s company, and it
showed."
Back in 2019, Newton-John told Fox News Digital that Gibb was "a dear friend
of mine."
"He was just a sweetheart," she said at the time. "Such a lovely, sensitive
young man. His death was such a tragedy. Even now, his loss is greatly
felt."
Olivia Newton-John, seen here with Andy Gibb, passed away on Monday. She was
73. (Ron Eisenberg/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Newton-John passed away on Monday at her Southern California ranch. She was
73.
"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her
journey with breast cancer," her husband John Easterling wrote on social
media. "We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during
this very difficult time."
She is survived by her husband; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah
Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; and several nieces and nephews.
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End Words@brothersgibb.com message digest 08/12/2022 15:01 (#2022-1938)